Trying for the Sun A Studio 60 story
by BeneathTheVeil
Summary: When disaster strikes the show, they all must band together to save it, and some might find that they are closer than they wish to be...


Introduction

-Harriet-

When they told me the news, my head began whirling, spinning out of control.

It wasn't like I couldn't live, that I couldn't go on to do greater, better things, but deep within my heart, I knew that this was where I belonged. The greatness, the history of this hall…it truly inspired all of us to glow in the light of our predecessors, of our heroes and icons. My life was based off of the happenings in this place. My first big break, my first true love…all happened inside of these honored walls. As I thought about what was happening, my heart literally ached, as if it would pop out of my chest black and cold. I couldn't take it. My silence was killing me, white light pouring into my eyes. With a sudden, painful flash, my attention was brought back to the men sitting in front of me in the dark conference room.

"What do you mean, you can't do anything about it?!" I heard someone yell. It could have been Matt, or even Danny. I couldn't really tell, still being in a semi-dazed state.

"I mean that I can't do anything, okay? This isn't just my decision…it's everyone's! You've overstayed your welcome on this network!" Jack. I knew it was him. I could sense his coldness from around the corner of a hallway or from the other side of my door. I never had liked the man…even though I knew it in my heart that I should at least try. That was part of my upbringing, to love even the worst of your enemies. But that man…there was something about him that made me want to run.

"This show, this _studio_, is the life of your network! You can't do this! We won't let you!" Danny fired across the room. I felt someone, I don't know who, squeeze my shoulder as I kept my gaze on the floor.

"You have no say in this. I suggest you all start writing your farewells…and get rid of any of the crap that happens to be laying around here. You have three weeks. Then you're done. We're formally announcing this in two days," Jack answered coldly, his voice frigid with the same contempt he had always had for Matt and Danny. I finally forced myself to look him in the eye. He turned to me, eyes still bleeding ice, and I tried to keep my glare on him, but I couldn't. Looking up, acknowledging what was happening…I just couldn't do it. I could feel the tears building up already.

"Get out," Matt grumbled from his corner. He refused to look at Jack, and when he wouldn't leave, Matt once again, loudly this time, told him to leave.

"You'll understand someday. Someday you'll know that I'm right in doing this!"

"You heard Matt," Danny answered. "Get out of here."

He still didn't move.

"Get out!"

And with that the door slammed shut behind him. We all were silent, and the deep breathing of every person in the room could be heard. I looked at Cal, leaning against the wall and staring out into space, to Danny, obviously attempting to keep his heart steady. Finally, I glanced at Matt, his back to us. For all I knew he was crying. I had only seen him cry once before. And I didn't want to ever see it again.

The intensity in the room only increased from that point on. I didn't really know what to do. Everything was a complete blank. No one spoke. No one acknowledged anything. We all simply sat or stood in place, not even digesting what was happening.

My tears began freely falling then. No one tried to comfort me, because I knew they were all holding back the same feelings. My head fell into my hands, and I silently let the tears fall to the ground.

How could this have happened? How could we have brought this on? It was impossible…we couldn't have.

They were shutting down the show. Not only that. They were demolishing the entire studio along with it. Everything - gone. The history - only a wisp of a memory.

I looked on with blurry eyes to see what we were losing - what the country was losing. And that only made my heart ache more.

Part 1

-Matt-

For the next day and a half, the cast was as solemn as I had ever seen them. With the news spread first by word of mouth and then officially announced at a cast and crew meeting, everyone who walked through those doors into our domain felt the pain permeating through the air. The usual light humor that was always present for the first part of the week was lost, and everyone worked in quiet, attempting to write their sketches without further creating a sense of dread.

I couldn't write. Sitting at my desk upstairs, laptop open but empty, my brain would just not register. I found myself staring out at the stage, having flashbacks of all of the events I had witnessed here…all the events that I had created here. So much couldn't just be thrown away.

The sight of Harry at the meeting kept giving me chills. I had turned around so as to not see her crying. This show was a huge part of her life. It was a huge part of my own. And Danny's, Cal's, and every other actor and crew member who had lived in this studio 24/7 for the past several years.

I couldn't possibly let them take that away from us. I couldn't let them take that away from America. This show was a tradition in America's heart, a place to finally kick back and laugh and be entertained. That was it…I couldn't let a half-baked network take away this show. Not from us, not from America.

With a sudden burst of energy I found myself bursting through my door into the hallway. I spotted Danny at the far end, explaining some unimportant detail to some random crew member.

"Danny," I yelled, my voice no longer as hoarse as it was. When he turned, I beckoned for him to follow me with a slight nudge of my head in the direction of the stairs. He excused himself and threw his arms up in question.

"What?"

"I'm your best and longest friend and that's what I get? A 'what?'" I answered, trying to poke at least a little bit of humor in the air. No use. His face remained set like stone.

"Okay then…will you please just follow me?" I said after several moments of intense silence in which we both tried to scare the other off. Apparently that sense of what the other was thinking was long gone.

"Why?" I heard Danny ask as I turned to walk away. With a huff, I faced him again.

"Will you just trust me for once?"

"Remember what happened the last time I trusted you? It involved two hookers, a whole lot of beer, and a random piercing when I woke up the next day. I think I have the option to not trust you."

With a grin and a little chuckle, I put my arm around him and pushed him along. "You're coming with me. I think I have an idea."

"Oh no…here we go. What idea? Does this involve me dressing as a woman in any way?" He questioned snidely, yet with a touch of humor in his tone. "Because I'll tell you something, Matt…I ain't doing that again!"

I shook my head, grin still on my face (It was the first smile I had mustered in the last forty eight hours) and nudged him down the stairs.

"Come on."

"Why are you so damn happy anyway?"

………………..

We found the great Harriet Hayes laying on the couch in her dressing room, reading some kind of book with her feet up. Still remembering back to that meeting, I felt a deep pain in my heart for her. I had never seen her cry.

"Well…all of us are working and here you are, reading in the basement," I said, inviting myself in without a second thought. "Don't you have anything to do?"

She looked up after a few seconds of having her head in the book, probably finishing a paragraph just to make me wait for her own response.

"No, Matt, I don't. I heard you were sulking in your office getting no work done…so don't start criticizing me." I knew her snappy manner was the way she hid her emotions, which were probably extremely unstable then. With a sigh I walked over to her velvet throne while she immersed herself in the book she was reading.

"By the way, hi Danny," she said, still not looking up. He nodded his head from the corner, hands in his pockets. He was obviously annoyed at me and waiting for me to reveal my all powerful thoughts. It wasn't going to be that simple.

"Look, honey…can you please come with me for a few minutes? I've got an idea that I think you'll like." I gave her a pleading look, but I don't think she saw it. Not that it would have mattered…she was the one person who could ignore me without feeling guilty about it.

"First of all, I'm not your 'honey,'" she said, making my heart seemingly drop into my stomach. As much as I told myself to snap out of this secret obsession with the woman, it never worked. Every little rejection felt like a knife stabbing deeper and deeper into my chest. "And, Matt…nothing is going to make me feel better at the moment, okay? Nothing. It's not even worth trying, because as of two days ago my life ended."

I looked down to the floor, closing my eyes. I knew inside that this was how she felt, and I knew that I could do nothing to make her feel better, but somehow I felt responsible. First I had broken her heart, then I had accidentally put an end to a once wildly popular television program that really was her life. Well, half of it at least. Or a good three quarters…her "crazy Christian" lifestyle steered everything else.

"I may not be able to make you feel better, and you may still hate me with the deepest hate you could possibly have for anyone, but I need you, Harry. I need you for this."

With that she slowly, carefully, lifted her head to look at me. Her eyes were filled with question.

"I'll tell you if you come with me."

"Fine," she huffed as she lifted herself from the couch. "I'll come with you. But this had better be good because if it's not, you'd better be careful around me…I can do serious damage."

As she and Danny walked out the door, I glanced back to the book she had left laying on the couch. I walked to it, carefully picking it up. The Holy Bible. Well that made sense. She was probably trying to find some kind of comfort in it. I took the book and slipped it into my jacket, hoping that maybe, if needed, it could provide that same sense of security that she was looking for.

………………..

"Cal, buddy…need to talk to you." Our party shuffled one by one into the control room, Danny and Harriet getting more irritated by the second. I knew that I would have to do something soon or they were going to lose all patience. Cal turned from his seat and looked me in the eye.

"So, I've got this idea…"

Part 2

-Danny-

My blood was boiling hotter and hotter every time Matt put off his so-called "wonderful idea." I had work to do. The show was leaving, but that didn't mean that I wasn't going to put my all into the remaining episodes. I knew that the writers were having a lot of trouble working, with their leader cooped up in his office staring at his blank laptop screen. I was surprised to see Cal not doing anything as I walked in. He simply sat monitoring some computer screen, half zoned out and half depressed it looked like.

"What's up?" He questioned, getting off from his seat and making his way towards us. I could see the confusion…he wasn't used to having the producer, lead writer, and star actress all coming into his control room at the same time.

I looked at Matt, waiting for him to speak.

"So, I've got this idea…" He said slowly. I finally felt some kind of anticipation flowing through me. Was this some miracle for the show, or some writing idea that he really didn't need me for?

"I think I know how to save the show."

I could feel the three of us - 'us' being Harriet, Cal, and I - tense up. Of course we'd all been trying to think of some way to save the show. Of course we all knew that it would be an impossible feat to do so…but apparently Matt didn't think so.

"I can't wait to hear this one," I muttered, leaning against a sound board. "This should be interesting."

"Well, not really. It just involves some simple maneuvering on our part."

"Matt…come on. We've got to get back to work," Harry said. Her voice wasn't completely steady, however, and I think she really did want to hear Matt's idea. She just didn't want _him_ to know that.

"No, come on Harriet. I want to hear this…" Cal answered, a smirk on his face. Matt looked perturbed to say the least. I knew him, and when someone didn't want to hear his ideas, he got mad. Actually, he got mad real fast.

"Look, do you want this or not?" He said tensely. "Because I could just forget about it and move on from this place to do bigger, better things. And so could Danny. So if you don't want to listen, God forbid I take you away from your work." His tone was hard, and I knew that if we didn't start listening, he was going to do something stupid. Actually, wait…no, he'd do something _really_ stupid, _really_ fast.

"Alright…sorry. Go ahead, tell us," I sighed. My heart was actually beating against my chest rapidly. If someone was going to come up with a way to save this show, it was going to be him or me. And I was cleaned out with ideas. So that left the genius plan to Matt.

"So…you know Wilson White?" We all gave him sarcastic stares. Who didn't know the owner of NBS?

"He's the owner of NBS…"

"No shit," Cal answered. "What about White?"

"Well, do you guys know who he idolizes?"

Blank stares across the room.

"Uh…you?" Cal tried.

"No, not me. _Harriet_. He idolizes Harriet."

"Okay…a lot of people idolize Harriet…what does this have to do with saving the show?" I asked, really not understanding where the hell this was going.

"Okay…so this might sound a little far-fetched, but we need to get Harriet to meet with Wilson White. Not a scheduled meeting…a chance meeting. He has the final say on anything that goes on in NBS."

"What's your point, Matt?" Harry questioned, her voice stern.

"My point," he continued. "Is that you, and probably you alone, can persuade him to not sign those papers." He walked across the room so that he could glance out to the studio. "_You_ are the one who's going to save this place." He walked to her and leaned close. I could see her tense more as his breath reached her ear. "_You_ are the only one that can save _yourself._"

We all stared at him. This was such a far-fetched idea. It wasn't even sane. The chance of _Wilson White_ actually listening to an actress was so slim, that it was probably easier throw a pen from my office to the stage and hit a two inch target and get a bulls eye.

Harriet took a deep breath, silently contemplating what to say, what to do. I could almost hear the gears shifting in her head. We all remained silent.

"Isn't White in, like, China right now?" She finally asked. Matt sighed and rolled his eyes.

"Of all the things to ask, you ask that. Will you not worry about the meeting part? I'll arrange that. You know I'm good at 'running into' someone."

"If I do this…what do I say?" Harriet's expression changed from a look of confusion to a look of worry.

"Well, that's what you _do_ have to worry about."

She sighed and looked to the ceiling.

"Do I actually have a choice?"

"Probably not," I said. "This is Matt we're talking to here."

She sighed once more and closed her eyes. I knew she had made her decision.

"I don't think it's going to make a difference…but if it's the one way you can think of to save the show…I'll do it."

"Good girl," Matt answered, finally smiling again. With that, he made his way out of the room, giving Harriet a quick kiss on the temple as he left. I followed Matt out, watching her wide open, glazed eyes staring out into the most historic studio in the world.

Part 3

-Cal-

Sitting at my ridiculously and unnecessarily large desk writing out mindless signatures all day, I could not stop thinking about Matt's idea. When Rudolph broke the news of the show's imminent doom, we all knew whose fault it was. Well…wait. It was only about a quarter my fault. The others…Matt, Danny, and of course Wes Mendell…knew that they were also very much responsible. Wes - for speaking against the network and culture in general on a live television feed and further destroying the smoothness the show had established. Me - For not taking the camera off of him and for actually believing in what he was saying. Matt and Danny…well, they just tried their best. Apparently their best wasn't good enough. We never got a formal reason for why NBS wanted to shut us down. We expected that sometime today. All we did know was that they planned on demolishing this studio for the set of some reality TV show. That, of all things, made me angry.

I truly didn't believe in Matt's "plan." As I sat at my desk, I knew he was off plotting a way to find Wilson White, to woo him with Harriet's charming style. Like that would actually happen. I knew White, and he was a hard man. As much as he liked Harry, it was probably just a longing to sleep with her rather than a respect for her God-given acting talent. But hey, who am I to question our lead writer's decision?

I signed my name on yet another paper, not even bothering to read the fine print. I had no clue what it was, but I simply threw it on the pile for someone to pick up and deliver to the NBS headquarters. I just hoped I hadn't signed my resignation papers.

Matt hadn't given me a job when he left, instead leaving it to Danny to talk to Jordan McDeere, who Danny got along with _pretty_ well. Harriet was sent to her dressing room to prepare some kind of beautiful, world-changing speech, but I would bet that she was instead reading the Bible or sleeping. Matt was off who knew where. That left me in my lonely and dark control room thinking of something to do.

Strange things happen to me when my mind actually has a moment to wander. Believe me, that doesn't happen much. But that day it did happen. Matt's words rang through my head and I think that because I repeated them so many times to myself over the course of the day, I finally believed that they could happen. Interesting concept.

That's when it hit me. Jordan was on our side, was she not? I knew she had to be, even though I hadn't gotten the formal news yet that she was. She was crazy for this show. I think she even believed she was the savior of it in a way. With her, we could do some pretty crazy things…

Plots ran through my head. I picked the best (Or what seemed like the best) one of them all and wrote down a few phone numbers on a piece of paper. Matt would like this.

………………..

"So…we call Jordan up, who Danny is supposed to be with right now. We ask her to do us a favor. She calls corporate and tells them she'd like a dinner meeting with Wilson White to talk about a new show she plans to bid on. She can do that because she's the president of the network. She feeds us the info on where they're eating, and we skillfully plant Harriet there, along with one of us so that she has a little support. Jordan discretely talks about Studio 60, about how it's made such an impact over the past century, and how it still is today. But she doesn't say anything about them canceling us, and doesn't give her opinion against it. Instead, she waits until White either goes to the restroom or starts to leave altogether, and then gives Harry a signal. Harry comes out, does her thing…yada, yada, yada."

I nodded through the whole thing as Matt repeated my plan. It wasn't half bad. So simple, yet possibly very effective. Sometimes I even scare myself with my brilliance.

"Cal, my friend…I think you have it," Matt complimented. I couldn't believe we were doing this. Plotting against the network…ooh it was gonna be fun.

"You realize you can't say a word to _anyone_," he continued. "This is between the four of us. I'm going to call the others up here to tell them the plan. Danny's called me with the news from the Jordan front…and she's against Jack Rudolph all the way. In fact, she said she'd do anything to help us."

"You know, this is too easy," I answered. "Something's gotta go terribly wrong in this plan somewhere, or we're secret agents."

"We are secret agents, Cal. Every day of our lives."

He picked up the phone and paged both Harriet and Danny. This was going to be…sweet.

Part 4

-Jordan-

"You want me to do _what?_" I half-asked, mostly yelled into the phone. I knew that I had said that I'd do anything to help the team of Studio 60, but this was ridiculous. They wanted me to fake a bid on a show then call Wilson White over to the states from where he was in China currently. I was new to this network, and I still had a pretty weak standing. I couldn't possibly do this! And so I told Danny exactly that.

"Come on, Jordan! You said you'd help us. This is the best thing we can come up with," Danny pleaded on the other end of the line.

"Well, if that was all you could think of, then I don't think you should be producing a hit TV show," I answered back sternly. I couldn't take this! The media was out to get me…Jack Rudolph hated me…the public wasn't really sure what to think. If they found out that I was involved in a half-assed plot to save one of the shows, I was screwed.

But the guilt was starting to get to me. It was me who signed the final papers. I never told them that. It was either I signed the papers or lost my job. I signed the papers.

Danny was muttering something but I couldn't quite hear it. The guilt was pooling up inside me extremely fast, like a dam had suddenly broken and was spilling inside of me. His voice was making me nervous. Damnit…

"Danny…doesn't Matt have some other idea?" I almost begged. I prayed that he did. I couldn't possibly say no to these guys. Not after what I had done to them.

"I don't think so, Jordan. He's too busy plotting this one. And trying to comfort Harriet, which isn't working too well…"

When his voice trailed off I knew that it was time for me to give an answer. That last thing about Harriet was thrown in on my behalf. Leave it to Danny to exploit my new-found friendship with the woman. Sometimes he knew just how to push my buttons…

"Look," I sighed. "I'll…I'll do my best. I can't believe I'm saying this but I'll try."

"Because of the guilt you're starting to feel for signing those papers?"

My hear nearly burst out of my chest. Shit…he knew. How the hell did he know?!

I remained silent on my end, thinking of something to say to him.

"You don't have to say anything. Just do what I told you to."

Okay…that man just read my mind….twice…

………………..

Wilson White happened to be in New York when I called his secretary. Of course. It had to happen the hard way…he had to be in New York, not China, leaving me to actually follow out with my promise to set things up for Matt and Danny. Just…great.

As I stared at the damned phone I had just set up our dinner with, I couldn't believe this was happening. What had I become? First I signed those papers in the first place, throwing away everything I had ever believed in. Then, I had agreed to do something that could potentially cause me to lose my job altogether. I was walking on some thin ice…some _very_ thin ice.

………………..

"I can't thank you enough for doing this, Jordan," Danny said, smiling at me from across the conference room table. "You're going to be the savior of this show, of this studio."

We sat alone in the room, the lights low and the halls quiet. Mostly everyone had gone home, probably. I knew that Matt was still upstairs working on something, and that there were probably a few crew members tweaking things, but other than that, we had the entire basement to ourselves.

"I just hope Harriet comes through," I said back to him. "It's not that I don't think she can do it…but Wilson White is not the greatest man to be around…"

"I thought he had the same opinions as you. Remember that reality show you didn't want to bid on? He supported you."

"But that doesn't make him a good man, Danny," I answered. I don't even know if I believed in this…this plot or plan or whatever it was. But Danny seemed to, so I followed.

An awkward silence permeated through the room, leaving me to wonder if he would question my decision on signing the papers for the leave of his show. He never did. But when he began to talk again that didn't mean I wasn't nervous.

"Jordan…I don't know about you but…ever since Matt and I started at this show a few months ago, ever since you became president of the network," he paused, as if thinking how to word his statement. "I've been having some…feelings."

I furrowed my brow as he looked at me, a strange look on his face.

"I don't know if you feel the same way…God knows I've been out of the loop for ages…but…"

"But what?" I whispered, my breath coming out in a wisp.

"But I've started to have some feelings for…for you…"

My eyes looked straight into his and I hoped he knew what I was trying to get across mentally. I had felt something…a tiny twang in my heart when he walked into the room or passed me in the hall. I hadn't thought about it at all…

"I, uh…Danny, I'm flattered."

He looked crestfallen. "Yeah…" he whispered. "Well…I'll see you later. Tomorrow night."

"Wait. That's it?"

"When a woman says 'I'm flattered' that roughly translates to, 'what the hell were you thinking, you dumb bastard?' I won't take it personally…like I said, I've been out of the loop for a few years…"

"Danny…shut up!" I laughed, getting up and stopping him from leaving through the doorway. "I didn't mean it like that at all. I've…I've been out of the loop too."

"Well…how about we be out of the loop together? At dinner on Saturday, say…8:30."

"That's…a deal."

………………..

Surveying my outfit in the mirror, I could feel, almost see, my heart beating against me. All day I had almost forgotten about this dinner because of Danny's proposal the night before. But now it was an hour beforehand and I couldn't believe how nervous I was.

I had managed, that same day, to scrounge up some scripts for some controversial show that could pass off as a show I wanted to promote. I guessed that those would be my decoys. I couldn't even guess to how Harriet must have felt at that moment. She was probably more terrified than I was. But, I was of course _lying_ to the owner of the network, so I had reason to be nervous.

"Okay…you look fine. Businesslike but with a flash of style. You look like you usually look, just with a little more flare. Exactly how I would dress to see the owner of NBS," I kept telling myself. I took a deep breath and headed out the door.

I had to just keep telling myself that I was doing the right thing.

Part 5

-Harriet-

"Matt…I can't do this…" I whispered, watching Jordan and Wilson White at their table in the middle of the dining room. It looked like all was going well…White seemed to be in a pleasant enough mood. Thanks goodness. I didn't think I could do this if he wasn't in a good mood.

"Yes you can, Harry," Matt said back to me. "You're an actress…a damn good one at that. And a comedian! Make the man laugh!"

In a way his words were comforting, but at the same time I still wasn't so sure about this. I thought that White would be able to hear my pounding heart from where he stood.

"Why am I here again?" I asked him, questioning my fake story and staring up into his face. As I looked up, that feeling that I always got when I looked into his eyes returned. I wish it would go away. I had been telling myself to find the anti-Matt, but it wasn't working. And I had determined several weeks ago that it wasn't working because I didn't want the anti-Matt…I wanted the real Matt.

"You're here with me. I had to leave early because of a sudden call from someone at the studio."

"But what if he sees you?"

"He won't, honey…just do it."

This time, I didn't correct him when he called me 'honey.' Instead, I sighed and tried to give myself strength.

"'For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory that shall be revealed in us.'"

I stopped short in my tracks. Turning to Matt, I gave him an astonished look.

"Romans 8:18."

"I…I know…" I whispered. This man, this anti-religious, crazy man, simply took my breath away sometimes…

"There…look…he's getting up to go to the bathroom." He said suddenly, pointing out into the restaurant. "I'm leaving. Act like you're coming out of the bathroom." And then suddenly his arm wasn't around me anymore and I was all alone. It finally dawned on me that the complete future of the show and the studio was laying on my shoulders. And to add to that, we had a completely unstable plan that had a million to one chance of actually happening.

As I saw White heading back, I hurried around the corner. I could hear his expensive shoes against the hard tile, and when I thought he was right next to the corner wall, I made my way around it. We collided with little grace as his wallet fell from his hands.

"Oh…I am so sorry," I said, trying to make my words sound genuine. This was a different kind of acting than I was used to.

"Just watch where you're - Oh…Harriet! Harriet Hayes. How are you, my dear?" His gruff voice filled my ears and I took deep breaths.

"I'm just fine. Mr. White, correct?" I tried to stay as polite as possible.

"You can call me Wilson. I was just having dinner with a certain Jordan McDeere. She's very complimentary of your show, and of you personally." So Jordan had done her job. I could have just hugged the woman right then. For all I knew it could have been her that got him into this good mood.

"Really? Well, Jordan and I are getting to know each other a little better. Wonderful woman…it's too bad about the press attention she got a few months ago." My heart was still pounding, but it was slowing down. I could see Matt out of the corner of my eye leaving and waving to Jordan. Damnit…I was going to have to yell at him for possibly breaking our cover.

"Well, everyone gets bad press in their life. It's just the business." The sudden silence left me unknowing of what to do. How could I launch into a plea for help when I had hardly talked to the man?

"That it…that it is, sir," I muttered back, hoping that my cool, calm demeanor hadn't changed. Or that he hadn't noticed if it did.

"Well, Ms. Hayes…Harriet, if I may. Would you like to join us? Jordan's already finished with her business and we'd both love to have you."

Damnit…he wasn't supposed to be this nice! What the hell was Cal talking about?! This man was not the spawn of the devil!

"I'd love to. The…person I was with just left, so I was about to leave myself."

"Wonderful. Excuse me; I'll be right with you." And with that he was gone.

I scurried over to the table, losing all gracefulness that the public believed I possessed and tripping over two chairs along the way.

"Jordan!" I said in a stage whisper. "He wants me to stay with you for desert! This is no use…this won't work. We're stuck here…trapped!"

"It's okay. I'll find a way to leave…then you can talk to him. Use your charm." Her face was friendly but I could tell she was going to kill either Matt or Danny before the night was through.

"Fine…but I _will_ kill Matt after this is over," I retorted, voicing the thoughts I knew she was having.

"Don't kill Matt…it was Cal's idea."

"Oh great! So now I get to kill Cal!" I said sarcastically. "I actually like Cal."

"I thought you liked Matt, too," she answered.

"Ladies…glad to see you're chatting away." White's voice startled me and I nearly jumped out of my seat. "I apologize for leaving."

"That's fine," Jordan said, looking to me to say something, anything.

"So…Harriet…I just want to tell you how much of a fan I am of your work. Wonderful work. You've got some real talent…I'd love to see an episode live sometime. I guess I'll have to stop by when I'm staying here in L.A., not flying through it."

"Well, thank you, Mr. White. I appreciate it. It's always nice to hear that people enjoy the show," I smiled at him.

"Well it is enjoyed…a landmark show and historic studio, all in one." He sipped his coffee as he nodded at me. Just then, I heard Jordan excuse herself. I was guessing that this was my time. Damnit…deep breaths…

"Mr. White…I actually would like to say something."

"Alright." That simple 'alright' was not helping.

"I don't know if Jordan told you, but Studio 60, the show and studio itself, are planned to be shut down."

"For the season…yes, I know. Every studio needs maintenance…"

"No, sir. Not for maintenance. The network, namely Jack Rudolph, has decided that it's the end of the show." I couldn't believe he didn't know this. They hadn't announced it formally yet, but shouldn't the owner of the network know that his hit sketch show is being cancelled? Would this make my act harder or easier?

"And I..." I gulped. If I offended this man in any way, this was the end of my working in Hollywood, in New York…anywhere. He was the king of the television industry. "I don't think it's right, frankly."

His face remained set like stone, no emotion showing at all. I continued.

"We, as the cast, crew, and management, have just recently, today actually, been told that we're being shut down for several reasons. One, because we're not getting as many viewers as we used to. And I'd like to express the numbers to you. We used to get twenty million a night. Now, we get eighteen million. I don't understand this reason for the show closing…"

My voice was choppy and I knew I wasn't sounding very convincing. This wasn't going to save anybody. Expressing pure facts that he could get on his computer wasn't helping our cause. I swallowed hard and looked him straight in the eye. No more numbers or facts…if I was going to do something about this show, I was going to have to put some heart into it.

"Look…I'll get right to my point," I stated. "This show, Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip…it's been an American landmark for over forty years. It's never faltered, never gone out with the times. In fact, it blends to the culture that it needs to blend into. The show and the studio itself have served as outlets of creativity for some of the greatest writers in history. Some of the greatest actors and comedians emerged from inside those walls. The people working there today, and I'm not talking about the big-time producers or writers, will someday rise to the top of the television food chain, just like you did. In fact, I believe even you emerged from the same studio, did you not? An intern…rising to the top and becoming an NBS landmark. The owner of a network that has served this country for decades. And where did you come from? From a meager intern job at a little-known studio that would one day become one of the most renowned in the world. And now they're shutting it all down."

My eyes had unconsciously glazed over, and I completely forgot to look for White's reaction. He sat staring at me, hands folded in a perfect triangle. I wasn't done yet.

"They're getting rid of a show that America has cherished for generations, sir. And they're taking away a studio, demolishing it, like it never existed, like all of the history that took place there never happened. And it's all being done because of some crazy personal vendetta that someone has against us. And I…" I took a deep breath. "I can't stand for it. I can't possibly let it happen…because that studio is my life. It's the life of Matt Albie, of Danny Tripp, Cal Shanley, Tom Jeter, Simon Styles, and so many more. You don't know who these people are…but it's the life of Gail Lewis, of Ed Moore…And most importantly, it's the life of America. And, sir, I just don't think what is happening is right in any way. You can't take that away from us…you can't take that away from America."

My final words echoed through my mind. Had I done alright? I had planned over and over what I would say, and yet, something completely different came out. I was glad that I had not been so nervous that I had no passion in my voice, but it came naturally, and I knew that I would have to look into the face of Wilson White to see what my future, what all of our futures, would turn out like.

I was astounded when through my own teary eyes I saw wetness in his own. He shook his head. And with that, wiped his face with a napkin and stood.

"It'll be taken care of. Thank you, Ms. Hayes."

And then he was gone.

My whole body trembled as I lifted myself up, looking around for any sign of Jordan. But she was gone. As I took more deep breaths, the shock finally hit me. We had saved the show. We had saved the studio. A one in a million chance…and we had done it. _I_ had done…Jordan had saved us, and Danny and Matt and Cal. We had worked in such a way that it even scared me. But I had no time to think of it, because I was so delirious with joy that I couldn't keep it in. The tears forming again and again in my eyes turned from tears of sadness to joy, and I couldn't help the small cheer that rose in my throat. I had to calm myself down. Deep breaths…

I walked through the hall of the restaurant, searching for Jordan or Matt. But I couldn't find them. I saw Wilson White's black limo pull up and carry him off to wherever he was going. He had been so choked up that he didn't want me to witness it. I silently thanked him, and most importantly thanked God for giving me the strength I had needed. I leaned against a wall, closing my eyes and muttering an almost silent prayer for the miracle that had happened today.

I was so choked up that I ran into two waiters as I made my way for the door. Instead of having that nauseous feeling I had been experiencing all day, my whole body felt light. _We did it, Harry…we did it. _I kept telling myself that over and over.

The doors opened. I turned to the right and there he was, his back against a wall and looking extremely nervous. His eyes scanned the night sky, hands in his pockets. He never looked so beautiful to me before, however terrified he looked.

"Matthew…"

My voice cut through the traffic and sounds of the city. He turned to me, and I could already see tears in his eyes.

"Matthew…We...We…did it."

I think it took him a moment to register what I was saying. He asked me to repeat myself, and I did, more steady this time.

"I said, 'we did it.' We…we're not going anywhere anytime soon. We saved the show." His eyes became bright, matching the single star that I could see in the night. He bit his lip and I smiled. We both knew we were keeping our joy suppressed. And that wasn't going to last long.

"Oh my God…Harriet!" He suddenly yelled and walked to me briskly. His arms were soon around me and I embraced him just as much as he was squeezing me tight. We laughed together and when he picked me up, I laughed even harder, throwing my arms around his neck. As we tried to calm ourselves down, he gently let me back down, but I kept my arms wrapped around his waist. The longing that had been driving me mad came back in a flash, and when he put both his hands on either side of my face, my heart leapt for what must have been the hundredth time that night. His lips grazed mine softly at first, and I let myself go then. When he forcefully kissed me, my head began spinning, and the moan in my throat finally let itself loose.

"Matthew…" I whispered, looking into his eyes.

"Harriet…you knock my socks off."

I grinned and let him kiss me again, bathing in the glory I knew we all deserved.


End file.
